In this computer age, and with the many various research tools on the internet, it is important to remember that past generations took time to write books. Some of these books can be accessed at local, regional libraries. One of our early forays was to a library in Canon City, Colorado. We knew that we had family history from the Wet Valley in Colorado. A relative who was a Fire Chief in Canon City, as well as family members who are buried there. In the research section of the library was a written history of the area, around the time of the 1800s. This was of particular interest to me, because of the oral tradition that Great Grandfather Powell had worked at a farm, as a hired hand. In reading the book, I discovered his name was included in this document. This was a fact that I relied upon when beginning the research on the internet. I did find, that in fact he worked as a hired hand in his later years, but through the internet research I also found that he worked for CF&I. I happened upon a pictorial history of CF&I at the Sangre De Cristo Arts Center in Pueblo, Colorado. I was fascinated by the photos but the maps, oh the maps, showing all of the CF&I Company “towns” within Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico. Suddenly, the pieces came together. I had discovered records online which showed that Great Grandmother Patterson-Powell had died in a town named Berwind. Living in Colorado my entire life, I had never heard of Berwind. Yet, in this pictorial history and in the maps, clearly CF&I had a coal mine in Berwind. http://scalar.usc.edu/works/mines-of-the-colorado-fuel-and-iron-company/berwind-coal-mine-el-moro-no-2
Great Grandfather Powell worked for CF&I, I went back to my research on the internet, and sure enough found the family at various mines up until his wife’s death.